Improvement in grain and grass harvesters



PATENT F' OFFICE.

O. BILLINGS, OF LA GRANGE, OHIO.

.IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN AND GRASS HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 33.69 l` dated November 12, 1861.

full, clear, and exact description of the same,

reference being had to the annexed drawings,

' making a part of this specilication, in which- Figure lis a side view of my invention; Fig. 2, a back view of the same; Fig. 3, a side sectional view of the same, taken in the line w, Fig. 2. Y

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a frame which has a drivingwheel, B, placed in one side of it, and a track- Wheel, G, at its opposite side. The drivingwheel B is placed on a fixed axle, D, or rather on an axle which works in fixed or stationary bearings et a, while the track-wheel O has its arm or axle E at the end of crank b, which is at one end of a shaft, F, that is placed or fitted in suitable bearings, c, underneath the front part of the frame A.

On the shaft F there is a segment, G, to which a cord or chain, d, is attached, and this cord or chain is connected to a spiral spring, H, which is fitted within a horizontal tube, I, on the frame A, the cord or chain being attached to a set-screw, d', at the back end of the spring, and by adjust-ing this screw the tension of spring H 'may be regulated as de! sired.

To the under side of the back part of frame A there is attached a curved bar, J, the lower end of which serves as a bearing for the back journal of a shoe, K, at the inner end of a n'- ger-bar, L. This finger-bar may be of usual construction, and also the fingers e, which are attached to it. M is the sickle, which is of the ordinary reciprocating kind, and fitted on the fingers e. The front end of the shoe K has a journal fitted in the end of a bar, N, which is attached at its inner end by a joint,f, to a fixed bar, g, underneath frame A. rlhe bar N, near its outer end, is fitted on the back end of a rod, O, the front end of which is attached by ajoint, h, to the under side of frame A. The rod O passes through a pendant, P, which eX- l tends up through the frame A, passes through the lower part oi' a lever, Q, and has a nut, t', upon it. By adjusting or turning the nut 'i the front part of the shoe K, and consequently the front part of the nger-bar and sickle, may be more or less elevated, as circumstances may require. In case the front part of the sickle or fingers require to be temporarily raised, it may be done at any time bydrawing down the upper end ot'lever Q. e

The inner end ofthe finger-bar L has a friction-roller, j, applied or attached to it, and upon this roller the outer end of a spring, B, bears. This spring R partakes of the character ot' a lever, and has its fulcrum at 7c. The inner end of this spring B is connected by a link, Z, with a lever, S, the rear end of which is within convenient reacl of the driver, who is on his seat T. lhe seat T is simply a disk having a pendent rod or guide, m, attached, on which a spiral spring, n, is placed. The rod or guide m passes thro ugh the outer part of a bar. U, the front end of which is attached by a bolt, V, to the frame A. The bar U is allowed to turn on this bolt V, and to facilitate the turning ot'said bars, a friction-roller, o, is inserted in it, said roller resting on the frame A. The spring n allows the seat to yield or give readily, and in consequence ofthe arrangement of the bar U the driver is enabled to shift his position from right to left, as occasion may require.

rIhe segment G of shaft F has a lever, W, connected to it, by operating which the driver may at any time raise the right side of the main frame, and consequently the iingerbar and sickle, so that the latter may pass over obstructions which may lie in its path. The outer end of the finger-bar is ofcourse allowed to rise and fall to conform to the inequalities of the finger-bar is allowed a similar movement, in consequence of the arrangement of the trackwheel C on its crank-axle E. The spiral spring H, connected to the segment G by the cord or chain d, serves as a counterpoise and greatly facilitates the yielding movement ot' the tingerbar and sickle, and by regulating the tension of spring H the pressure of the finger-bar on the earth may be regulated as desired.

The drivin g-wheel B has aconcentric toothed rim, X, at its outer side, which rim gears into a pinion, Y, on a shaft, Z. On the front end of this shaft Z there is placed a toothed surface of the ground, and the inner end of the wheel, A', which gears into a pinion, p, said pinion being at the front end of a shaft, B', which is fitted in the frame A at the inner or right-hand side ofthe wheel B. The baclr end of the shaft B'is provided with a crank-pulley, g, from which the sickle M is driven by a rod, o'. This arrangement of the sickle-driving.;1 mechanism has a tendency to prevent side draft, as the power is taken from the drivingwheel at its left side, and consequently is as far to the left side of the draft-pole O as possible, and therefore serves to counteract the resistance offered by the grain Or grass to the cutting action of the sickle. The spring R effects two important results: First, it serves to keep -the outer part Of the finger-bar a-nd sickle elevated or from bearing too heavily on the `ground; and, second, it admits, when pressed down on the inner end Of the iingerbar through the medium of lever S of the finger-bar and sickles, beine; raised bodily when the lever Vis drawn back. This latter, it will be seen, is quite an essential feature Of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The attaching; of the front end of the shoe K of the finger-bar to the adjustable bar N, which is connected by a pendant, P, to thelever Q, as shown and described, for the purpose of regulating,` the height of the front ends Of the fingers c, as set forth.

2. The arrangement of the spring` lever R relativelyl with the lever S and finger-bar L, as shown and described, whereby the Weight of the outer part of the'nger-bar and sickle is eounterpoised, or nearly so, and whereby said finger-bar and sickle may be raised bodily when required, in Order to pass over obstructions.

3. The arrangement of the crankexle E, of the track-wheel G, segment G, and spring H, substantially as 1and for the purposel specified.

O. BILLINGS.

Vitnesses:

N. P. JOHNSON, GEO. C. UNDERHrLL. 

